China's cold-chain logistics industry reported robust growth in the first half of this year, with electric vehicle sales booming and rail-road combined transport gaining momentum.
At a final assembly workshop for new energy refrigerated trucks in central China's Henan Province, there will be a new vehicle rolling off the production line in every nine minutes or less.
"The market has been thriving since the start of this year, and our workshop has also experienced explosive growth in output, an increase of 316 percent compared with last year," said Yang Xiaoyu, director of the Manufacturing Management Department of Yutong Light Trucks Co., Ltd., a Zhengzhou-headquartered subsidiary of leading Chinese bus maker Yuton Group.
In March, the State Council, or the Cabinet, released an action plan for large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-ins, ordering measures to promote green upgrading of transportation vehicles such as refrigerated trucks. On July 31, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance issued a notice on the renewal of old and used trucks and announced policies to subsidize the renewal program.
The policy support has further stimulated market demand. In the first half of this year, 4,803 new-energy refrigerated trucks were sold nationwide, up over 290 percent year on year.
"We are provided with a subsidy of 35,000 yuan (about 4,915 U.S. dollars) for buying each new energy refrigerated truck, which further reduces our vehicle purchase costs. The company plans to buy nearly 150 more refrigerated trucks in the second half of the year," said Wei Yong, general manager of Henan Shenmu Supply Chain Management Company.
Meanwhile, the railway-highway combined transport business is expanding, facilitating the imports of fresh meat and fruit.
Recently, a refrigerated train carrying imported chicken and beef products arrived at Chengdu International Railway Port in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Now every week there is a cold-chain freight train pulling into the port.
"Since the resumption of the cold chain import business in May last year, the Chengdu International Railway Port has opened cold-chain transport routes to Europe, Laos, Vietnam and other destinations," said Chen Zengyu, business manager at the Operation and Development Department of Chengdu International Railway Port Investment and Development Company.
Apart from European meat products, more and more fresh fruits from Southeast Asian countries are imported into China via sea-rail combined logistics. The Nanchang International Land Port in east China's Jiangxi Province opened its first sea-rail combined transport route in July, improving the transportation efficiency by nearly 30 percent.
China's cold-chain logistics sector posts growth in new-energy vehicles, inter-modal transport
China's cold-chain logistics sector posts growth in new-energy vehicles, inter-modal transport
China's cold-chain logistics sector posts growth in new-energy vehicles, inter-modal transport
